The Day Opportunity Changed Our View of Mars Forever
Twenty-one years ago, a golf cart-sized rover bounced to a stop inside a small crater on Mars, beginning one of the most remarkable chapters in space exploration history
Launch Date
September 1, 2013
Launch Site
JSC
Launch Pad
LC603
Launch Vehicle
Chang Zheng 4C
NORAD ID
39239
International Designator
2013-046A
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 07:44:57 GMT
Apogee
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Perigee
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Inclination
63.39°
Right Ascension
46.04°
Eccentricity
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Argument of Perigee
11.99°
Period
107.02 min
Mean Motion
13.46 rev/day
Latitude
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Longitude
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Altitude
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Velocity
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Name
YAOGAN-17 01A
Alternative Name
Yaogan Weixing 17
Type
Status
Owner
ZZB
Country
China
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
1 39239U 13046A 26185.32288238 .00000072 00000-0 15783-3 0 9994
2 39239 63.3860 46.0368 0427652 11.9893 349.0934 13.45509790630596
Source: Celestrak
Length
0.5
Diameter
0.5
Span
1
Dry Mass
500
Launch Mass
500
Shape
Box + 2 Pan
Radar Cross Section
2.5905
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Jianbing-8 03 zu 01 xing
Purpose
Earth observation
Mission
Earth observation
Manufacturer
CAST
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
JB-8
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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Twenty-one years ago, a golf cart-sized rover bounced to a stop inside a small crater on Mars, beginning one of the most remarkable chapters in space exploration history
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